JEDDAH, 19 June 2007 — Saudis and Indians further solidified their relationship with the inauguration of a high-profile friendship society during a colorful jamboree Sunday night at the Jeddah Hilton. More than 100 men and women from both countries attended the event.
“Better late than never,” said King Abdul Aziz University Professor Dr. Rashad Husein, the main architect behind the Saudi-Indian Friendship Society (SIFS) that aims at expanding cultural ties between the two countries.
Last year, Husein was chosen as head by the large and diverse Saudi civil delegation to India to coincide with Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah’s visit to New Delhi.
“We should have had such a forum long before, but it is never too late to mend. Now that we have done it we want to involve as many people as we can on both sides,” Husein said. “We had to wait for quite some time for this society to take shape. As they say, the first step is always the most difficult one, but now that we have taken it, it is entirely up to the people of the two countries to convert this baby step into a giant leap.”
Husein said the idea behind forming a friendship group was to tap the presence of the 1.6 million Indian expatriates in the Kingdom to promote greater understanding and to build on the growing relationship between the two nations.
He said there was a need to clear misconceptions between the two peoples. He related an incident from the Indian junket. “Just as we were leaving for India, somebody advised us not to drink water in India saying the water there was contaminated. That was ridiculous,” Husein said. “But there are such misperceptions that we need to clear. Similarly, there are misconceptions in India about Saudi Arabia. They have gotten this negative idea from media reports, which are always sensational and highlight the bad stuff.”
The society named its steering committee, which includes Husein, Dr. Asma Siddiki and Hassan Bahabri (from the Saudi side) and Dr. Asar Khan, Shanthi Kumar and Danish Abdul Ghafour (from the Indian side).
Most important, the society will function under the patronage of the Ministry of Culture and Information with active help from the Indian Consulate.
Indian Ambassador M.O.H. Farook acknowledged the new dynamism in the relationship between the two countries. “I am a very happy man today,” he said and recalled the brief that was given to him by Indian Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh when he took over as India’s envoy to Saudi Arabia.
“I was told that our relationship with Saudi Arabia should be the top priority, and we have succeeded in bringing these two peoples together.”
The ambassador’s joy was evident when he took part in a Saudi folk dance presented by young men donning traditional Hejazi garb, which earned him a thunderous round of applause. Indian musicians performed traditional music, as well, playing tabla and the distinctive harmonium.
Siddiki, the vice dean for student affairs at Effat College and who Husein credits with playing a key role in the launching of the new group, said there were a million things that the new society can do. “And we will do. We will have a lot of cultural programs, food festivals, cuisine competitions, launching of book clubs, exchange programs, etc., etc.”
An Indian film festival has been tentatively set for January.
Referring to King Abdullah’s historic statement in which he described India as his second home, Siddiki said, “Saudi Arabia is a second home to 1.6 million Indians who make a difference in the lives of Saudis day in and day out.”
Indian Consul General Dr. Ausaf Sayeed described the creation of SIFS as a very important development. “This was the day I was looking forward to ever since my arrival here as consul general,” he said. “It is a dream come true.”
Sayeed reminded the gathering of how people of the Hejaz traditionally had been fascinated by India’s spices, pearls, precious stones, silk, sandalwood, oud and perfumes.
The cultural contacts between Arabs and Indians reached its greatest height during the reign of Caliph Haroun Al-Rasheed, Sayeed said, when Indian scientists, mathematicians and philosophers made outstanding contributions to the promotion of learning among the Arabs. “Indians, too,” he said, “were very fascinated by Hejaz, simply for the reason that Islam’s two great mosques — the Grand Mosque in Makkah and the Prophet’s Mosque in Madinah — are located here.”
Asar Khan, the director of International Business Development & Public Relations at the A.K. Saeed Group of Companies, said the formation of this friendship society will provide an opportunity to bring the two communities closer and enhance their mutual understanding in various spheres. “It is a remarkable development... No such organization existed before to connect the two communities culturally.”
Shanthi Kumar, director of Al-Shoaa International School and daughter of renowned south Indian music director M.S. Viswanathan, said the society would initiate, facilitate and develop social and cultural interaction between women in the Indian and Saudi communities.
“We want SIFS to be a very people-friendly organization,” she said. “So, we intend to keep the interests of our members — be it anything, such as travel, literature, cooking, fashion, sports or arts — as our interests, too. Through these interactions we hope to bridge the social and cultural gap between the two communities.”
